Will the birthmark on the baby disappear as he grows up?

Mothers usually discover birthmarks a few weeks after their babies are born. The color of birthmarks is different from normal skin color and is easy to identify. They can generally be divided into pigmented and vascular types. So will birthmarks on babies disappear as they grow up?

Will the birthmark disappear as the baby grows up?

The most common birthmarks for babies are stork bites on the back of the neck and eyelids. They are caused by dilation of blood vessels and will gradually disappear within the first year. About 10% of newborns will develop strawberry birthmarks in the first 4 weeks - a raised, red, dot-shaped birthmark. They usually disappear within two years. If the birthmark still does not disappear after 2 years, you can go for laser removal.

Pigmented birthmarks

Mongolian spots: They are more common in Asians and often appear on the lower back and buttocks, but can also appear on the limbs or shoulders. They appear as large blue-black spots and will gradually disappear before puberty.

Cafe au lait spots: They are flat, clearly demarcated brown or light coffee spots, which can be seen in about 10% of normal children. If there are more than 6 spots (inclusive) and they are larger than 1.5 cm, a doctor should be consulted for evaluation and follow-up.

Congenital melanocytic nevus: About 1-2% of newborns have this, which is commonly known as a nevus. Generally speaking, no treatment is required, but if the nevus grows too fast, it must be removed.

Vascular birthmarks

Salmon spots: Also known as neonatal flame nevus, they are congenital dermal vascular dilation. They are salmon-colored or light pink, flat in appearance, and irregular in shape. They usually grow on the forehead, between the eyebrows, eyelids, or back of the head. They become more obvious when the baby cries and usually disappear before the age of 1 to 4 years.

Port-wine stains: caused by abnormal dilation of subcutaneous microvessels, which can be found after birth. They usually appear as flat, reddish-purple patches with sharp boundaries, distributed on the face, neck or limbs, and are unilaterally distributed along the nerves. Laser treatment is recommended to start in infancy.

Infantile hemangioma: About 40% of hemangiomas disappear and look almost normal, while 60% cannot completely disappear and leave traces. Most hemangiomas only need to be observed, but hemangiomas on the face or around the eyes require early follow-up treatment.